SERGEI PETROV Russian, Born 1953 Lady on the Red Square, 1981 Black and white photograph. Ink signed and dated "81" lower right. Unframed. Verso titled, dated and signed. Photograph captures a an elderly woman in the foreground, bent low to the ground as she sweeps the vast, rain-dampened stones of Moscow's Red Square with a simple broom. Behind her, the ornate domes of St. Basil’s Cathedral emerge through a thick, atmospheric mist. 22.5 x 15 inches $250-350
ARTIST PROFILE: Born in Moscow in 1953, Sergei Petrov transitioned from a career in the Soviet defense industry to professional photography in 1978, initially documenting masterpieces at the Tretyakov Gallery and the Hermitage. A prominent dissident, he gained international recognition in 1982 during a 50-day hunger strike for the right to emigrate, a period during which he produced critical photojournalistic work for major Western publications like The New York Times and The Washington Post. His iconic image, Lady on the Red Square, became a global symbol of the stagnant Soviet regime. Following years of diplomatic pressure from the Reagan administration, Petrov was permitted to leave the Soviet Union in 1989. Since then, his work has been acquired by institutions such as The Corcoran Gallery of Art, and he has taught at prestigious venues including Cambridge University. Today, he continues his artistic practice and woodworking on Pender Island, British Columbia.
